Dear Colleagues,

The beginning of a new academic year is always an enjoyable time to be on our campus — students have returned and breathed new life into our buildings and spaces. There is excitement and energy in the air everywhere you go, with new friendships and communities being created every day. 

As faculty, you play a powerful role in helping shape our students’ trajectories, through your classroom teaching, laboratory leadership and creative guidance. You are our most vital partners in preparing them to lead lives of meaning and purpose that help improve our communities. 

In order to best help them succeed, it is important that they have the resources necessary to support their learning and discovery. The Office for Student Success serves students in a variety of ways, including academic tutoring, skills building and wellness programs. Please encourage your students to make use of these resources and programs — you can find more information on how to connect students with resources here: https://studentsuccess.uky.edu/get-help.

Equally important is ensuring that you are similarly supported to continue the important work you do. The Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching as well as the Office for Faculty Advancement are both excellent resources to guide faculty through different stages of your careers, whether you are new to the field or are an experienced faculty member. It is also vital to take care of your own well-being with UK Human Resources Work-life and Well-being.

Our people — students, faculty and staff — are critical to UK’s mission to advance Kentucky and its communities. Taking care of each other and ourselves is how to ensure we can continue meeting that mission.

Thank you all for everything you do for our people and our state.  

Robert S. DiPaola 
Provost

Campus Colleagues,

I am writing to inform you that we will begin the search process for a permanent dean to lead the College of Nursing and its community as they continue expanding their impact on the lives of Kentuckians and people across the world. Dr. Gwen Moreland has served as acting dean since June 2025, and we thank her for her service in this key leadership role for the University of Kentucky.

The College of Nursing plays a transformative role in our Commonwealth, helping prepare not only nurses, but policymakers, educators and researchers who are revolutionizing the health care landscape. Since its first graduating class in 1964, the College of Nursing has helped promote Kentucky’s health across its mission of excellence in education, research, practice and service — a mission that is more important now than ever for our state.

The search process will begin soon with the goal of the college’s next dean joining us by July 1, 2026. The first step in the search process is to form a search advisory committee comprising faculty, staff, students and alumni. As part of our efforts to enhance communication and transparency and to uphold the university’s bedrock principle of shared governance, the Office of the Provost is seeking nominations for the search advisory committee. All recommendations are confidential.

To nominate yourself or someone else to serve on the search advisory committee, please click here. Nominations are due by noon on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact Shavonna Ross, director of operations (shav.ross@uky.edu).

Thank you in advance for your valuable input. We appreciate all that you do to advance Kentucky.

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D.
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

Last week, the university community celebrated the momentous “topping out” of the Michael D. Rankin MD Health Education Building on our campus. This new and innovative structure will house programs in the Colleges of Medicine, Public Health, Health Sciences and Nursing as well as the Center for Interprofessional and Community Health Education.

This marks a bold step in our efforts to advance Kentucky’s health for years to come — the transdisciplinary and student-centered spaces allow for collaboration across multiple areas and majors. This mirrors the collaboration and teamwork I see in the health care settings between physicians, nurses, physical therapists and many others. 

Whether in the hospital, the lab or the clinic, our patients trust us to provide the best and most compassionate care available — and that stems from highly trained health care professionals working together to advocate for patients’ needs. 

I am deeply proud to work alongside professionals who are so committed to providing world-class and patient-centered care — you are what makes UK and our community so impactful.

I encourage you to read more about the topping out ceremony in this article and to learn more about how we are building a brighter future for Kentucky’s health here.
Thank you for all you do for UK and our Commonwealth.

Robert DiPaola 
Provost

Campus Colleagues,

I am writing to inform you that we will begin the search process for the next permanent dean to lead the College of Health Sciences and its community as they continue expanding their impact on the lives of Kentuckians and people across the world. Dr. Scott Lephart has served as dean since March 2015, and we thank him for more than a decade of service in this key leadership role for the University of Kentucky.

The College of Health Sciences is dedicated to helping the people of Kentucky and beyond attain the highest level of health possible. It is composed of a passionate community of faculty, students and staff who help drive innovation and change in all health disciplines. Because of the leadership role the college holds in advancing the health of our communities through education, research, service and care, its dean must be an exemplar of the college’s values and mission as the university prepares the next generation of health care leaders.

The search process will begin soon with the goal of the college’s next dean joining us by July 1, 2026. The first step in the search process is to form a search advisory committee comprising faculty, staff, students and alumni. As part of our efforts to enhance communication and transparency and to uphold the university’s bedrock principle of shared governance, the Office of the Provost is seeking nominations for the search advisory committee. All recommendations are confidential.

To nominate yourself or someone else to serve on the search advisory committee, please click here. Nominations are due by noon on Friday, Sept. 5.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact Shavonna Ross, director of operations (shav.ross@uky.edu).

Thank you in advance for your valuable input. We appreciate all that you do to advance Kentucky.

Robert S. DiPaola, M.D.
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

I want to extend a warm welcome and welcome back to each of you as we begin a new academic year. The energy as our campus begins to fill up is palpable — we recently welcomed 247 new faculty to UK at our New Faculty Orientation. 

In addition to the return of our students, a new academic year also brings a sense of renewed purpose around our shared mission — to advance Kentucky in all that we do. 

As faculty, you continue to power that mission by preparing and educating our students to become the future leaders, innovators and artists who will guide Kentucky into a brighter future.

You lead research and discovery teams to greater heights, finding creative solutions to issues our communities face through collaboration and partnership.

You bring world-class care closer to home for our patients so that they can receive the most effective and leading-edge treatments. 

Faculty are the heart of our mission to advance Kentucky — you are at the heart of everything we do. As we move into another academic year, I will continue my work to support each of you in your teaching, research, service and care to help improve the lives of all Kentuckians.

Thank you for believing in UK’s mission and helping further that mission every day.

Robert S. DiPaola 
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to inform you that James C. Duff has agreed to serve as interim dean of the J. David Rosenberg College of Law, effective July 1, 2025.  

Jim brings to UK extensive managerial and practical experience in both public service and the private practice of law, as well as in legal education. He served as counselor to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist from 1996 to 2000 and as the director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts by appointment of Chief Justice John Roberts, first from 2006 to 2011 and then from 2015 to 2021. 

He taught constitutional law at Georgetown University for 16 years as an adjunct faculty member in the Walter Giles Endowed Department Seminar in Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties and as the Peter Mullin Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Department of Government. He also served as the managing partner of Baker Donelson in Washington, D.C., from 2000 to 2006.

Jim currently serves as the executive director of the Supreme Court Historical Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the history of and increasing public education about the U.S. Supreme Court. He began that role in 2021 and has expanded its outreach to students across the country.

He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in the Honors Program of the University of Kentucky and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law School.

With his extensive experience working in various areas of law, coupled with his familiarity in expanding law education to different populations, I am confident that he will continue carrying on the tradition of excellence in scholarship and service for which the Rosenberg College of Law is nationally known. Please join me in congratulating and thanking Jim as he joins UK. 

The search for a permanent dean of the Rosenberg College of Law will continue in the early fall. I will provide more information about the search closer to that time. 

Please also join me in thanking Paul Salamanca for his service as acting dean and thank you for all you do for UK and our Commonwealth.

Robert DiPaola 
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to inform you that Dr. Craig Martin has agreed to serve as interim dean of the College of Pharmacy, effective Aug. 1, 2025.

Dr. Martin is a professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science and also serves as the College of Pharmacy’s associate dean for operations. He joined the college’s faculty in 2012 after 10 years of experience leading UK HealthCare’s national award-winning Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. 

Dr. Martin, a native of Kentucky and a graduate of the UK College of Pharmacy, has a deep knowledge of the college and its strengths, as well as the experience necessary to lead the college as it grows across its multiple areas of focus. As a nationally ranked and highly regarded program, the College of Pharmacy is helping lead the charge to advance Kentucky.

Please join me in congratulating and thanking Dr. Martin as he moves into this new role. 

I know you will also join me in thanking Dr. Kip Guy, who is transitioning into his role as the dean of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota.

Thank you for continuing to advance UK in all you do. 

Robert S. DiPaola 
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Rebecca Thomas has accepted the offer to serve as UK’s next associate provost for faculty advancement, effective July 7. 

Dr. Thomas comes to UK from Transylvania University, where she has served as the executive vice president for academic affairs and dean of the university since 2020. In this role, she provided strategic and operational leadership for academic affairs functions and ensured the academic integrity of courses and programs. She helped initiate and develop new minors through a faculty-centered process.

Dr. Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in computer science from Stanford University, as well as expertise in the area of information technology. Prior to serving at Transylvania University, she held various leadership roles at Earlham College and Bard College.

I know you will join me in congratulating and welcoming Dr. Thomas to our campus. Her experience overseeing faculty services and working with faculty will translate well to the powerful faculty environment we have at UK. I am confident that she will continue demonstrating exemplary leadership for our faculty community and help us continue building our teaching, research and service missions. 

Please also join me in thanking Dr. Lisa Tannock for her service and leadership to UK as she begins a new phase in her career as dean of Queen’s University Faculty of Health Sciences in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. 

Robert S. DiPaola 
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

As of today, Rosalie Mainous is no longer serving as dean of the College of Nursing. In order to ensure a smooth transition of leadership, Gwen Moreland, chief nurse executive for UK HealthCare, will serve as acting dean. 

Gwen is a board-certified nursing executive with more than 25 years of nursing experience, including key management positions within UK HealthCare.

She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Kentucky and is also an adjunct faculty member of the College of Nursing. As acting dean, Gwen will help the college maintain an excellent academic experience for our students while supporting collaboration, innovation and leadership for faculty and staff as the college continues its critical work supporting UK’s mission to advance Kentucky.

The UK College of Nursing has a long tradition of outstanding academic excellence and is a highly ranked program — it is vital that we continue this positive momentum as we educate more students and address Kentucky’s nursing workforce shortage.

The college plays an essential role in the health of our state and, as such, this position is critically important. I will provide more information about the next steps in the search process for a new dean soon. 

Thank you for everything you do to advance Kentucky.

Robert S. DiPaola 
Provost

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Laura Bryan has agreed to serve as interim dean of the Lewis Honors College, effective June 1, 2025. 

Dr. Bryan joined the university in 2019 and has served in various roles, including acting dean of the Lewis Honors College from 2020 to 2022. She brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education and academic leadership into her role as the inaugural T.G. Lewis Faculty Scholar in Organizational Behavior within the college.

Throughout her leadership roles at UK and previous universities, Dr. Bryan has focused on student success and supporting faculty and staff at the same time. As acting dean of the Lewis Honors College, Dr. Bryan helped strengthen the Honors community by leading a collaborative process that resulted in the college’s first strategic plan, fostering faculty, staff and student engagement and developing and enhancing student leadership development programs. 

She is also an accomplished researcher and scholar, concentrating on areas such as academic leadership as well as industrial and organizational psychology. Dr. Bryan has also taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in courses ranging from the science of happiness and well-being and positive organizational psychology to managing effective organizations and leadership.

I am confident that Dr. Bryan will bring a deep focus on student success and continue the college’s positive momentum in this role. She has demonstrated outstanding leadership, and I know the Lewis Honors Community — all students, faculty and staff — will thrive with her guidance. 

Please join me in congratulating and thanking Dr. Bryan. And please also join me in thanking Dr. Christian Brady for his service as dean of the Lewis Honors College.

Robert S. DiPaola 
Provost